Looking for a unicorn

"The Stig's Missourian Cousin" (zachelliott) 09/17/2018 at 14:24 • Filed to: None

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So here’s the scoop. My wife and I are starting a family soon, and I just got a big promotion at work. Right now, my wife and I have been carpooling in her car (2017 Nissan Rogue and before that a Jetta) and saving a lot of money in gas. With my new promotion means i’m gonna have to start driving everyday myself since I may have to stay late/come in early sometimes.

Right now aside from our Rogue, I have my 2010 Toyota Tundra I bought a year ago. It’s a great truck, but it gets horrendous gas mileage. Normal commute I get around 16 MPG. This was the same as my Tahoe that I drove back and forth for a month in, and it got pretty expensive.

So i’m considering my options. The promotion did come with a pay increase, but with starting a family, that goes bye bye because kids are fucking expensive. So i don’t want to spend my extra money on gas. The idea of a cheap commuter crossed my mind, but my hangup with that is I’d want to be cheap, so like <$2k, and then I risk getting something that needs a lot of repairs/maintenance, and I have a truck sitting in my garage that i’m making payments on, that I only drive on the weekends sometimes.

So my other option would be to sell the truck and get something more efficient. But I also want something capable. Here’s where the unicorn comes in. Here’s what I’m trying to find. Something that costs around $10k used. That’s the easy part. I also want something that can tow an occasional trailer, like a light travel trailer or a small piece of equipment such as a Toro Dingo, or anything like that. Also needs to get better gas mileage than my truck. And if possible, I’d like a truck. So far the only thing I’ve found so far that ticks all those boxes is a Honda Ridgeline. Is there anything else that could be a good option i’m forgetting?

PartyPooper2012 > The Stig's Missourian Cousin 09/17/2018 at 14:33

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MDX/4Runner/GX470/GX460/Cater pillar D10 (very capable, but not efficient)

razorbeamteam > The Stig's Missourian Cousin 09/17/2018 at 14:35

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You’re describing a minivan. Look, I’m not happy about it either, but dems the facts. We used to tow a boat with a 2001 Grand Caravan. My dad installed a set of helper springs in the back. 

dogisbadob > The Stig's Missourian Cousin 09/17/2018 at 14:35

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Wo uld a Transit Co nnect work?

The Stig's Missourian Cousin > PartyPooper2012 09/17/2018 at 14:40

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I would LOVE a GX470 but the efficiency part is what gets me. They don’t really get any better mileage than my truck gets.....

OPPOsaurus WRX > The Stig's Missourian Cousin 09/17/2018 at 14:41

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what about you taking the Rogue and your wife, who i’m gue ssing with have the gremlins with her more often gets something slightly larger, like a Ford Edge or something. My wife had our twins in an Escape for the first couple years. People thin k they need a suburban when they have kids but they really dont.

BrianGriffin thinks “reliable” is just a state of mind > The Stig's Missourian Cousin 09/17/2018 at 14:41

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Honda Ridgeline. Dooo it.

:ducks:

But seriously, it meets your needs and gets slightly better mileage than the Tundra (though not when towing). My FIL’s Ridgeline has 100k trouble free miles, but only gets about 19mpg average and about 12mpg while towing a motorcycle trailer.

EDT: any objection to a mid-00s domestic pickup?  I had a F150 with the V6 and got 21-22mpg all day long, regardless of what I was hauling. 

The Stig's Missourian Cousin > dogisbadob 09/17/2018 at 14:41

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That certainly fulfills the utilitarian desire, but I would like something a bit more comfortable, or that can seat more than 2 people. 

The Stig's Missourian Cousin > razorbeamteam 09/17/2018 at 14:42

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Stop that. I’m trying not to go that route

functionoverfashion > The Stig's Missourian Cousin 09/17/2018 at 14:42

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What do you need the truck for? Our XC70 gets 24mpg, it’s a great family car. Not fabulous to drive, but it is comfy . You could tow a small trailer with it, just not something with a lot of tongue weight. XC70's are easy to find in your price range , and the turbo - straight- 5 engine is a good one. Ours is the 3.2 straight six and although it’s more displacement, you know what they say, “there’s no replacement for displacement forced induction...”

Then get a cheap beater truck to do... truck things . It can be a beater because it won’t be a daily driver.

farscythe - makin da cawfee! > The Stig's Missourian Cousin 09/17/2018 at 14:43

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welp... about 10 years from now one of these should be in your budget(if they’re sold over there)

vw golf alltrac estate it has a max tow capacity of 2.200 kg

The Stig's Missourian Cousin > OPPOsaurus WRX 09/17/2018 at 14:43

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We thought about that too, but she absolutely loves the Rogue and we bought it for the specific reason of having kids. Out of all the Crossovers we found in our price range it was the best bang for our buck. So she’s keeping it for her. And we literally just bought it 3 months ago, so i’m not gonna switch up cars on her again haha.

The Stig's Missourian Cousin > functionoverfashion 09/17/2018 at 14:45

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XC70 is sexy. But i’d prefer not to have 3 vehicles. I’d like to have a truck if I need to haul brush, or a tall appliance or something. Granted it doesn’t end up being a lot of times that I do that, but that’s why it’s not an absolute requirement and i’d be OK with something that can tow, so i can load shit on a trailer.

Under_Score > The Stig's Missourian Cousin 09/17/2018 at 14:45

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If you want a unicorn, may I suggest a vehicle like a Suzuki XL-7?

jasmits > The Stig's Missourian Cousin 09/17/2018 at 14:46

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I’m in the same boat as you, but with a Taco that gets marginally better mileage.

I considered a commuter but came to the conclusion that you did, best case even if I’m assuming I get 40mpg(so double what I average in my Taco) and have nothing beyond routine maintenance I barely offset insurance with gas savings. One majorish thing breaks and now I’m spending money and time on a vehicle I don’t even want to own, and I’m spending 1.5-2 hours a day in a penalty box when I have a nice vehicle I could drive instead.    

I mean.. I average 4 mpg better than you with my Tacoma(add an extra mpg or two if you’d go for an auto because those have taller overdrives) but that doesn’t seem worth upgrading to. My advice is to just drive the Tundra, unless you’ve been wanting a fun car anyway. Then it could be a good excuse to find a Miata or a GTI or something fun/economical/reliable. That way if it saves you money, great! If it costs you a little money you’re still getting something out of it and the gas savings are still mostly paying for your toy.

I didn’t follow my advice and bought a 1990 Range Rover that’s not reliable, economical, or fun to drive(in the traditional sense, it’s actually a ton of fun to drive).

atfsgeoff > The Stig's Missourian Cousin 09/17/2018 at 14:50

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I vote for the $2k commuter car. Get a 12-15 year old Corolla or Civic and call it done. Spend fifty bucks on a pre-purchase inspection by your mechanic of choice if it makes you feel better. If it lasts two years, it’s more than paid for itself compared to the depreciation you will suffer from putting miles on a newer, more expensive Ridgeline.

dogisbadob > The Stig's Missourian Cousin 09/17/2018 at 14:50

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The Transit Connect offers seating for 5 or even 7. Plus, the seats fold down or might even be removable.

The Stig's Missourian Cousin > farscythe - makin da cawfee! 09/17/2018 at 14:51

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Yea we have them in the US and they are so gorgeous and I would absolutely pick one up later down the road.

The Stig's Missourian Cousin > Under_Score 09/17/2018 at 14:52

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Man I’ve always liked the XL7 but you’re totally right about unicorn. I’ve never seen one on CL around here.

PartyPooper2012 > The Stig's Missourian Cousin 09/17/2018 at 14:52

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Yeah. They aren’t teslas, but they are comfortable and can tow a bit. Also good in snow if that’s a concern.

Maintenance wise they aren’t terrible, but when they do need loving, better bring your big wallet. 

The Stig's Missourian Cousin > BrianGriffin thinks “reliable” is just a state of mind 09/17/2018 at 14:53

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No objection to a mid-oo’s domestic pickup. It could be something i’d consider. I’ve always thought the Ridgline was silly but it has a surprisingly high towing capacity, has a bed, and has Honda reliability. Plus it seems really comfy and built more like a car, so a softer ride

The Stig's Missourian Cousin > PartyPooper2012 09/17/2018 at 14:57

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Yea the other issue with a GX470 or similar is I subscribe to /r/overlanding, and so i’d instantly be tempted to start modding the crap outta it, and as soon as I realize I have this amazing vehicle outside I can’t do anything to it’s gonna be depressing..

The Stig's Missourian Cousin > jasmits 09/17/2018 at 14:57

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Yea, I think initially i’ll drive the Tundra everyday and see how expensive it gets. I’m just getting all my ducks in a row in case I start driving it and money starts flowing out of my wallet like water and I need to do something fairly quick.

The Stig's Missourian Cousin > atfsgeoff 09/17/2018 at 14:58

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I’ve found a few older Civics/Corollas. I may have to violate one of my conditions if I did that and get an automatic, since I really wanted a 5-speed but it seems harder to find those compared to their automatic brethren. 

My X-type is too a real Jaguar > The Stig's Missourian Cousin 09/17/2018 at 15:01

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Minivan, I know, I know, but really they are the most versatile and can be decent on gas and can tow quite a bit.

Textured Soy Protein > The Stig's Missourian Cousin 09/17/2018 at 15:19

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The lightest weight Toro Dingo is 1567 lbs and they go up from there. I dunno which one you have but could be almost 2000 lbs. Plus trailer. So you’d probably want 2500 lbs towing capacity at least.

The Ridgeline will meet this with 6000 lbs max braked trailer weight . It’s rated 16/17/21 mpg. Your Tundra is rated 13/14/17 mpg.

Outside of the Ridgeline you’d be looking at V6 midsize pickups, or SUVs & CUVs. You would probably see the best mileage from a car-based CUV. Some ideas, these are all the 2012 model year capacities that I looked up, plus mileage.

Toyota Highlander - 5000 lbs, 17/19/22 mpg
Honda Pilot - 4500 lbs, 17/20/24 mpg
Ford Edge - 3500 lbs , 18/20/25 mpg
Nissan Murano - 3500 lbs , 18/20/23 mpg
Chevy Equinox/GMC Terrain - 3500 lbs, 16/19/23 mpg

You could also consider the midsize V6 pickups or truck-ier SUVs like the 4Runner, Pathfinder (not the current one) and Grand Cherokee. 

PartyPooper2012 > The Stig's Missourian Cousin 09/17/2018 at 15:30

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I’ve held out with the modding. Every time I think about slapping it with mods, I look at odometer and panic sets in. Well, it probably won’t live much longer... why bother? But then it does and I contemplate mods.

It’s like a never ending loop in my head. 

CobraJoe > The Stig's Missourian Cousin 09/17/2018 at 16:18

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So i’m considering my options. The promotion did come with a pay increase, but with starting a family, that goes bye bye because kids are fucking expensive. So i don’t want to spend my extra money on gas. The idea of a cheap commuter crossed my mind, but my hangup with that is I’d want to be cheap, so like <$2k, and then I risk getting something that needs a lot of repairs/maintenance, and I have a truck sitting in my garage that i’m making payments on, that I only drive on the weekends sometimes.

If you’re only considering another car to save money on gas costs, you’re almost certainly going to be paying more.

I’ve run some numbers for my own situation (which is kind of similar, crew cab Titan which isn’t great on gas), and assuming a 1000 per month total mileage (which is on the high end for me) and a gas price of $2.69 a gallon, a $2000 60mpg car that would be driven 100% of the time would only save me $70 per month in gas. Ignoring any additional costs (like insurance or taxes or repairs), it would still take me 2.3 years to recover the $2000 purchase cost.

Of course, there are other fun reasons to get a commuter instead, but saving money by using less gas is not going to be a valid one. 

Long_Voyager, Now With More Caravanny Goodness > The Stig's Missourian Cousin 09/17/2018 at 16:23

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Here ya go: https://oppositelock.kinja.com/repost-for-sale-1828587951

Tow whatever you want, plenty of room for the family, 16-24mpg depending on how you use it.

Long_Voyager, Now With More Caravanny Goodness > The Stig's Missourian Cousin 09/17/2018 at 16:24

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More sensible than a CUV.

At this point, it’s cooler too, simply because it’s not what everyone else has.

Long_Voyager, Now With More Caravanny Goodness > The Stig's Missourian Cousin 09/17/2018 at 16:26

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?

Long_Voyager, Now With More Caravanny Goodness > My X-type is too a real Jaguar 09/17/2018 at 16:27

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Correct answer.

The Stig's Missourian Cousin > CobraJoe 09/17/2018 at 16:31

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Yea i’ll admit I haven’t completely ran all the numbers yet, and I also haven’t driven the Tundra every day like I would be, so I don’t have solid figures yet, I’m just going off what it was like when I had the Tahoe. It’s still something i’m thinking about and may end up just doing some improvements to the Tundra to make it ride a bit better and make it a better daily (new shocks, upgraded brakes, etc) and just drive it.

MUSASHI66 > CobraJoe 09/17/2018 at 21:22

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Glad someone said it - buying a new car just to save on gas is almost always a horrible financial option. Car purchase price + registration + insurance + cost of gas versus just driving a vehicle you already have, even with crappy gas mileage is rarely worth it - it takes years to recuperate the cost. Plus, you’ll be stuck in a small, crappy, break down prone shit mobile while your nice truck sits at home.

Even trading for a Ridgeline - consider the cost, calculate everything, and realize that it’s not  a good financial decision.

CobraJoe > MUSASHI66 09/18/2018 at 09:24

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The only way it kind of works is in the extreme. A used $1000 50cc scooter that gets 100 mpg driven half of the time would pay for itself in 15 months. But that means riding the scooter pretty much exclusively during the summer and half the spring and half the fall.

That’s a lot of riding a tiny motorcycle to eventually save an average $66 a month.

The best solution to reduce monthly cost without reducing ability is to sell the Tundra and go pay cash for a cheap but well maintained used truck. $5k-8k should get you something that will do everything the Tundra did, but probably a little slower and a little less comfortable, a little worse on gas, and maybe without 4x4. But the lack of a car payment can offset a lot of gas cost.

Just make sure the sacrifice of getting an older vehicle is worth the reduction of expenses. 

functionoverfashion > The Stig's Missourian Cousin 09/18/2018 at 09:47

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For sure, a small utility trailer is a great way to go.

jasmits > The Stig's Missourian Cousin 09/18/2018 at 10:37

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How long’s yours?? Also how much are you trying to tow?

I have my truck for off pavement capability rather than towing(although having the ability to tow the various questionable old cars I bring into my life would’ve been nice many times in the past and while I haven’t needed to yet I’m sure I will in the future) but for either proper  towing or off road capability I can’t think of anything that’ll get better than mid-20s which doesn’t make much sense if you weren’t looking for a new car anyway.

The Stig's Missourian Cousin > jasmits 09/18/2018 at 11:10

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It’s a 50 mile round trip commute daily. Mostly highway with minimal traffic. Currently construction so some stop/go but most of the time I can hit 70+ the whole way. In terms of how much i’m trying to tow, i’m not looking to tow a fifth wheel trailer, or a 35' travel trailer, but I would like to be able to tow a small travel trailer (<4k lbs) or a utility trailer if need be, or a piece of small equipment (like the Dingo I mentioned. In case we need yardwork done). Basically I don’t want to get stuck in the trap I used to be in when my wife and I owned cars, and I had to rent a pickup for towing/hauling anything. My Tahoe was great for that, but I decided I wanted a pickup since I still wanted something with a bed. However I really should have stuck with my original plan of something V6 powered, instead I got something with a big honking V8 because I was lured in by the capability and the Toyota reliability. I don’t need anything off road. The most off-roading I do is going to my parents house which is on a gravel road. I don’t even need AWD/4x4 (Our Rogue is AWD). I’m gonna drive the Tundra to work all next week and see what kind of fuel consumption it gets and how much it costs me, and then go from there. It may just be worth it to upgrade the truck with new comfier shocks/suspension upgrades to make it a road warrior and just keep it.

The Stig's Missourian Cousin > functionoverfashion 09/18/2018 at 11:12

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Yea i’d like to have a utility trailer I just have nowhere to put it really right now since my garage is full with both cars, and I have no room in my backyard for a shed or anything. And that’s what I would do if I did go the CUV/SUV route would be to buy one and just find someplace to put it, that way I never have to rent again.